A Day Out With Thomas

Since Clayton and Wade got to spend some time bonding in the wilderness last weekend, Drew and I decided that we needed a Mommy/Son date, too.  ;)  We went to A Day Out With Thomas last Saturday and had so much fun!

We had taken Clayton when he was 3 (click HERE to relive that adventure), so I knew that Drew was at the perfect age to go.  He had so much fun!  They have tons of activities to do in addtion to the actual train ride.  There were bounce houses, characters to meet, a mini train, magic shows, temporary tattoo stations, etc.  My sweet Drew was happy to just mill around and see everything.  He is so easy to please!

When it was time to board the train, he was super excited.  He was grinning from ear to ear for the entire 25 minute ride.  :)

He was pretty stoked about his certificate, too - sweet thing!

We had a fun time out - just the two of us.  I am so crazy about my Drew Boo!  :)

RA Campout 2012

Wade & Clayton participated in the RA camp out at Mineral Wells State Park last weekend. They had loads of fun!

I must start this post by saying that I have never, ever in my life been tent camping. My parents liked to RV camp, so we did A LOT of that as children. That was fun. There was a shower, a potty, air conditioning, fridge, stove, etc. However, I have never slept a night in my life in a tent. Nor do I really have the desire to do so...

For this camping experience, the entire family was invited to participate. I politely declined on account of having an 11 month old. ;) Wade and Clayton represented the Carpenters and they did a fine job!

Wade isn't a big camper either. Thankfully, the Brew Crew loaned us their gear and gave us a few pointers. The tent, sleeping bags, tarp, and Christmas lights tip were all courtesy of Abbey & Brent. Thanks, Brewers!

The boys both had a good time. Since returning home, there are lots of comments about the "next time we go camping," and talk of buying a kayak. Oh my... I am afraid that my boys are hooked. I have a feeling that I am destined to sleep under the stars at some point. I figure that I can play the baby card for a couple more years, right? ;)

Clayton with some of his fellow campers.

The Carpenter Campsite - Not too shabby!
(If only there was air conditioning and indoor plumbing...)

Sweet little s'mores face :)

They spent some time kayaking and hiked quite a bit, as well. This was right up my little explorer's alley. He may end up being an outdoorsy guy despite his Mama. Ha!






I was glad that my guys got to be one with nature for 24 hours. I hope that they got it out of their system for awhile... ;)

Easter 2012

We had a wonderful Easter this year! We serve a Risen Savior - there is nothing more worthy of celebration!!!

The boys woke up to some goodies in their Easter baskets.

We ate breakfast and got dressed in our "fancy clothes" for church. I have never seen my offspring look more handsome. I just could not get enough of my dapper dudes!

Clayton LOVED his Easter clothes. In fact, he has worn his coat and tie at some point every day this week. He will go up to his room and come down in full Easter apparel. We have had to make a rule that he cannot eat, play outside, or use markers when he is wearing his coat and tie. Ha!

This was Owen's first Easter! He was as darling as ever! I seriously could stare at these pictures all day long. This baby is such a blessing to me...

I Peter 1:3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Easter Egg Eggstravaganza

We dyed Easter eggs on the Saturday before Easter. We used Kool Aid (thanks to Pinterest!). The color was vibrant and they smelled yummy. :)

Bluebonnets 2012

1st Grade Festival - Moses and the 10 Commandments

Clayton's little school puts on a "festival" for each grade level. Festival is centered around their main history emphasis for the year and the children each have speaking parts. The classes recite poems, scripture, and sing songs. The kids (and teachers and parents) work hard and everyone looks forward to festival day. :)

The first grade festival theme is Ancient Egypt and Moses & the 10 Commandments. Clayton's festival was on March 28th, and it was beyond adorable! The kids all did so well! Festival costumes are a big deal, so Clayton and I started working on his weeks before the big day. He was determined to be a Pharaoh, and I thought that it turned out pretty cute. I don't get a whole lot of opportunities to use glitter and jewels, so we had fun adding some extra bling. Ha! :)

The children acted out the story of Moses as their teacher read it aloud. They sang Pharaoh, Pharaoh complete with hand motions - hilarious! The picture below was the action for "all of Pharaoh's army did the dead man's float." Ha!

The children recited the 1o Commandments, a poem about Ramesses, and the 23rd Psalm. Each child had a solo speaking part. I'm so grateful that his school puts a heavy emphasis on public speaking from an early age, as I shudder at the thought of speaking in front of an audience myself. I hope that Clayton doesn't have that problem as an adult...

Clayton's Class in their festival garb - his precious teacher, 6 girls, and 4 boys

Even the teachers dress up for festival. :)

The kids ate pyramid shaped cheese cubes, grapes, watermelon, olives, pita bread, honey, raisins, and "fig kisses."

Then it was time for some games. They wrapped up a toilet paper mummy, tried to toss a wooden spoon into a hula hoop, and played tug of war. I love watching Clayton interact with his classmates. :)

First grade festival was a huge success!

Owen is 11 Months Old!

My Baby O is 11 months old!!! I would write about how that is dangerously close to the 1 year mark, but we aren't discussing that. I choose to live in denial. ;)

At 11 Months Old:

* Owen was bouncing around on the baby scale like crazy, so I'm not exactly sure how much he weighs. Ha! I think that it settled out around 20 pounds 12 ounces. So, we'll go with that. My highly scientific measuring method (3 paper towel lengths on my kitchen island and a pencil to mark his head and heel) revealed that he is 29 inches long. If my memory serves correctly, that means that he is right on the edge of being too big for his infant carrier. :( Guess we better hook a brother up with a big boy car seat...

* He still wears a size 3 diaper and size 12 month clothes. He wears 18 month rompers and one piece outfits for the length. He wears a size 3 shoe. * He still just has his 2 teeny tiny bottom teeth for now. Yay! Those big ole mamma jamma top teeth feel like they are starting to come in, though. Boo! Once they get those top teeth, I feel like their whole face changes. Not to mention that those teeth are hard to cut. Maybe they will hold off for a little bit longer...

* Owen his been totally weaned for a few weeks now. The weaning process went very smoothly, and neither of us shed a tear. :) That was a sweet, sweet chapter of our relationship, but we were both ready to move on. It was just time. Now he takes 3 6 oz. bottles a day and a 4 oz. bottle before bed.

* He eats baby food 3 times a day - oatmeal and a fruit for breakfast, 2 veggies for lunch, and a veggie and meat combo for dinner. He also usually has a YoBaby yogurt at some point as well. He eats puffs and Cheerios, too. He hasn't had too many solids thus far - baby food is just easier. I did try a stage 3 baby food jar. He hated it and gagged his way through the 5 bites that I tried to force feed him. It was pretty pitiful. :( Drew was the same way, though. He either wanted it totally pureed or solid - no in between. Can't say that I blame them.

* All of my babies have loved bathtime, but Owen is an especially big fan. We have to close the bathroom doors, or he will crawl in and try to get in the tub. ;) When he hears the water running and sees the bathroom door open - watch out! He speed crawls with the biggest smile on his face. I think that he would stay in the bath tub all day long, if I let him. Ha!

* He still takes 2 good naps (2-3 hours each) and sleeps about 11 hours at night.

* He hasn't said any real words yet, just lots of babbling and "ohs." :)

* He knows how to wave and clap. He bobs up and down dancing when he hears music. We are working on holding one finger up (in preparation for his birthday), and he does it quite well.

* He LOVES for his brothers to sing "Pat-a-Cake" to him. He cackles the whole time. Drew sings, "Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, finger's smack." Regardless of his inaccurate wording, it still gets a laugh from Baby Brother. ;)

* Here's a short video of Owen doing some of his "tricks." He learned how to make the kissing noise as I was filming. Pretty cute!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Baby Owen,

You are 11 months old! So hard to believe... When I was pregnant, I remember praying that you would stay a baby for a long time. I knew that you would be our grand finale baby, and I wanted to relish every moment. I feel like God has answered that prayer! You still have so much baby left in you, and I love that. We are not rushing through milestones, and you still have that baby look about you. Thank you for staying a baby for a good amount of time. You are so good to your Mama!

Your birthday is sneaking up on me. I've been successfully living in denial, but it is becoming a reality as I start to plan your party. I can't believe that it is right around the corner! I know that we will have a fun day of celebrating your first year of life. That is worthy of celebration, for sure! First birthdays are the best...

You bring so much joy to our family, Sweet One! Your brothers are crazy about you, and your Daddy looks at you with so much love in his eyes. I'm nuts about you, too, of course. ;) I cannot imagine our family without you! Our decision to have a 3rd baby was one of the best choices we have ever made. You were just meant to be ours. :)

I love you to the moon and back!
Mommy